Jefferson’s first inaugural “we are all republicans, we are all federalists.” we can rely on the militia in the first instance. we must cut spending and taxes. “peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nation entangling alliances with none.

Lousiana purchase (1803)

Yazoo Scandal–Quid Schism

Embargo

War of 1812–conquer canada-foiled in east, americans take York (Toronto) -end impressment -army feeble: navy successful (on small scale)

The Hindu Way of Life

According to the Vedas, life began as a great cosmic sacrifice. The sacrifice of the creator god Purusha created the world as we know it. His eye: the sun. His mind: the moon. And so forth. According to Holy Scripture, humans are born into one of four classes, each represented by some part of Purusha. The highest class (varna) is the Brahmans or priests and came from the creator god’s mouth. The next highest is the Kshatriyas, those men born to be warriors or nobility, and were created from his arms. The third class is the most populated and made up of farmers, merchants, and craftsmen and were crafted from his thighs. The last came from his feet; the Sudra, slaves and serfs. Women’s role in this group tended to assume the status of their husbands or fathers. Continue reading →

Can the Government Keep Us Safe?

The second amendment states that, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” This means that all US citizens have the right to own guns. This is one of the rights that we possess as humans, whether or not a government exists. Some people (those who vote to increase gun restrictions) are under the impression that the government will be able to keep us completely safe and it completely justified in removing our rights in order to do so.

Philadelphia Convention: Virginia’s Proposition (Pt. 1/2)

The Philadelphia Convention was held May-Sept. 1787, where delegates from each state of the U.S. drafted our current federal constitution. The First thing the convention did was to elect George Washington as president of the convention. The second thing they did was to kick out the reporters and swear all of the people present to secrecy until the convention was adjourned. The third thing that happened was Governor Randolph presenting his proposal in front of the entire convention. Prior to the Convention’s start, the experienced James Madison had gathered together some like-minded delegates so they could form a proposition that would be presented to the Convention at the start of the meeting, therefore forcing the delegates to spend most of their time discussing the said proposal. The Articles of Confederation were based on a federal government model (one government to serve the parts) as opposed to a national model (many parts to serve the whole). The plan that Gov. Randolph presented was to form a new constitution that would be amendable without congresses permission. The central government would be allowed to admit new states without asking for old states permission. The Government could tax itself without asking for the state’s permission first. There would also be a national legislative branch, a national judicial branch, and an executive branch. The new constitution would hand a lot of power to the new central government and was objected to immediately by many less-populated states because they would posses much less power than more populated states. Tune in next week to see what the Philadelphia Convention decides.

Are Markets Sexist?

First, we’re gonna talk about the gender-wage-gap, probably the most common example of sexism. All you have to do is look at how this “evidence” was collected to see that this is not in fact true. The numbers were calculated using median wages of men and women as a whole, with no categories for different professions. Of course we must also factor in that different careers and life choices appeal to men vs. women, so naturally one gender is bound to earn a higher wage than the other. Continue reading →

Hinduism’s Holy Books

The Vedas–Ancient Holy books of the Hindus–reveal eternal truths and wisdom, and are believed to have existed eternally. (They date back to 1200 B.C.) Altogether there are 4 Vedas. 2 are collections of laudatory hymns ( Rig Veda and Sama Veda) while one is a manual for performing rituals (Yajur Veda) and one is filled with prayers and charms for health and fortune (Atharva Veda.) Several deities are recognized, such as Varuna, Indra, Rudra, Vishnu, and Agni. The gods and goddesses of the Vedic universe are associated with specific aspects of the natural world, such as the rivers of India, which are all represented by a different goddess. Offerings to these gods and goddesses of things such as plants and sacrificed animals, are burned by Vedic priests according to precise instructions in the Yajur Veda in return for “peacetime harvests and wartime victories.” Continue reading →

ORIGINS

Humans have always known there was a force greater than them in the universe since the beginning of time. We respond to this knowledge by worship, attempts to gain understanding, or the realization that we cannot in fact truly understand. Dreams have always brought us closer to our beliefs and inspire us to ask some of the oldest questions: Who am I? Why am I here? Every culture has a different answer. There are other unanswerable questions as well. Humans have always seen the power of the ocean or a storm or the birth of a human and wondered “if something was powerful enough to create all of this, is there some way for me to also control this much power?” The idea of a higher being has also been used to enforce laws and ways of living together in harmony since the very beginning of civilization. Punishment or rewards after death for living a certain lifestyle are a powerful motivator in all cultures to obey the rules and stay in line. Evidence shows that even people as ancient as the Neanderthals may have placed special items in the graves of their loved ones to accompany them to the afterlife. While there will never be a way to prove or disprove the existence of any God(s) there is no denying that ancient civilizations have depended on their beliefs to grow and prosper, and without the confidence that there is someone higher up than us, we would not be where we are in the world today.